BMW's new 5 series gets sleek outside, more technology inside
| Sponsored by |
| » | ||
| » | ||
| » | ||
| » | ||
| » |
Reprints
Print
Respond
- 2012 European Automakers: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen
- 2012 Chrysler-Fiat Future Product
- 2012 Japanese Automakers: Infiniti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Suzuki
- 2012 Ford Product Plans
- 2012 Korean and Chinese Automakers Future Product
- 2012 European Automakers: Aston Martin, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Rolls-Royce, Smart, Volvo
- 2012 Japanese Automakers Product Plans: Acura, Honda, Lexus, Scion, Toyota
- 2012 GM Product Plans
The sixth generation of the 5 series “is the way a BMW sedan should be with aesthetics and efficient dynamics,” said Klaus Draeger, BMW AG board member for r&d. Draeger expects the United States will continue to be the car's top market.
BMW held a press event here Thursday to discuss the new 5 series.
The four-door will be pitted against a year-old and radically restyled Mercedes-Benz E class, which is available in more variants and aggressively priced.
Last year, BMW sold 40,109 5-series sedans and station wagons in the United States -- a 13 percent decline from 2008 in a light-vehicle market that fell 21 percent last year.
Mercedes-Benz sold 43,702 E-class sedans and coupes in 2009 -- a 12 percent increase over 2008 after the all-new sedan debuted last June. The convertible, station wagon and diesel variants go on sale this year.
No wagon in U.S.?
BMW initially will sell only the sedan in two variants -- the 550i V-8 and 535i with an in-line six-cylinder, starting in June. The 528i six-cylinder goes on sale in July.
With last year's introduction of the all-new, 5-series-based GT crossover, BMW is considering not selling the slow-moving station wagon in the United States. Fewer than 1,000 wagons were sold last year.
Draeger said the decision to drop the station wagon hasn't been made final. But he hinted, “I don't think we will sell it because in the past, station wagons have not sold well.”
A hybrid version of the 5 series is expected to debut as a concept at the Geneva auto show in March.
BMW confirmed today that it will build the 5-series hybrid but would not give details on when production would start or on the hybrid engine.
BMW has not yet t confirmed whether the hybrid or a diesel will be sold in the United States.
For BMW, the 5 series is a crucial car. The 5 and the larger 7 series represent 50 percent of BMW's worldwide profits, Draeger said, and “it will remain this way because the 5-series segment will grow in the future.”
Worldwide, Draeger said, the 5 series was the best-selling sedan in its segment for four of the past seven years. Sales of the 5 series peaked in 2006 at 56,756 cars.
In the United States, in addition to the E class, the 5 series competes with the Lexus LS and Audi A6. Both cars have relatively lower sales. The Lexus LS slumped 44 percent last year to 11,334 units. Audi sold even fewer A6 models, with sales down 43 percent over the prior year to 6,786 cars.
Sleeker, more powerful
The biggest criticism of the current-generation 5-series car is the bulky appearance, primarily because of its side styling. That has been changed in the new generation with a design that “makes the car look lighter and more agile -- especially from the side view,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, director of BMW Group design.
The 2011 5 series is 1.6 inches longer with a wheelbase 3.1 inches longer than the current car.
The new car's key improvements include:
• A new front double-wishbone chassis that improves stability.
• Features that boost fuel economy by 10 to 15 percent over the current generation, including brake energy regeneration, an eight-speed gearbox, electric power steering and new powerplants.
• Luxury features that have migrated down from the year-old 7 series, such as a head-up displace, lane-change warning, stop-and-go cruise control, and rear- and side-view cameras. The 5 series also has a parking assist option not available on the 7 series.
Pricing hasn't been announced. But Josef Wuest, project director for the 5 series, said any increase in the sticker “will be quite moderate because of the sale situation we have at the moment -- especially in the United States.”
In Germany, the 535i price has gone up about 2 percent to $71,346, Wuest said. The current-generation 535i costs $52,125 including shipping in the United States.
You can reach Diana T. Kurylko at dkurylko@crain.com. -- Follow Diana on 
